


Kept Ya Safe

by Daryl_Grimes (Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead (Video Games), The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Slight racial slurring, heads up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 13:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4060957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson/pseuds/Daryl_Grimes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Slightly inspired by <strong>The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct</strong></em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Merle and Daryl have been together since shit blew up, since the world ended.</p><p>Daryl's nightmares are coming back, ever since the shit as they were leaving North Georgia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kept Ya Safe

The journey away from the shit hole was hard to go through. Daryl had relied on Merle more than he woulda've liked, but he needed his big brother to be alive.

Without Merle, Daryl would be dead.

That was why he was sat so close to Merle on the log, staring around at the group that Merle had said they needed to join.

There were the sisters, both blonde, both loud, and both got on Daryl's nerves.

Then the negro couple; T-Dog and... something or other. They didn't do much; just sat together, ignoring the world, probably trying to imagine they were in their own back garden or something.

The other guy, who's name Daryl couldn't be bothered to remember. His skittishness put Daryl on edge; it was like the guy was almost trying to accidentally shoot himself in the foor.

The other married couple, Ed and Carol, and their daughter, Sophie? Sophia? Something like that.  
Daryl didn't like Ed. The redneck could see how Carol limped, how the bruises on her arms and face formed the day after he'd drag her away from the group.  
That shit was wrong, and the fucker would have had a bolt through his head if Merle hadn't been there to keep Daryl in check.

Then, there was Dale and Glenn. An old guy, and an Asian. An odd couple, not some of those queers. They were good friends. Daryl supposed they had both lost someone and that they stuck together because of that.

It made sense.

Lori and Carl were the other Mother and child duo. Carl was a quiet child, really; not as quiet as Sophia, but quiet all the same. Daryl supposed he had lost someone close to him. Brother, or a Father, perhaps. Father, Daryl mused, as he observed Lori. She was frail and thin - not unusual but... More so than the rest of the women. Maybe she had less weight to lose or perhaps she was suffering with the loss of someone. Her pale face, eyes almost always ringed red... Made Daryl think more that she'd lost her husband and the kid had lost his Father.

Then, of course, there was Shane.  
The red necks fists clenched, knuckles paling slightly as Daryl's eyes fell on the cop.  
Cops had never done him any good; why should he trust this one? Sure, he knew his way around a gun, and had shot a few geeks down but, what did Shane do for him?

All cops had ever done for Daryl and Merle was push them around. They never listened when they called the cops, they never helped the two brothers no matter what the circumstance.  
Their Mother had been bruised and broken once, and Daryl had watched the copper look at her, look at the bruised knuckles of his Father, the broken bottle in his hand, and then leave a little while later, doing nothing to stop anything.

What had cops ever done for him?

Daryl suddenly became aware of Shane staring at him and he shifted his gaze away. Merle had been watching his younger brother intently and Daryl snorted a little, giving a half-smile before his eyes turned to the crossbow by his side, instantenously being pulled into his lap.

Daryl's nervous hands, twitching under the gaze of the others - had they all sensed his eyes on them? - slowly fell still as they went over the smooth black metal.

It was all Daryl had of his past life - and he intended to keep a good hold of it.

God forbid anyone try to take it off him.

They'd get a bolt to the stomach.

A pair of feet appeared in front of him, and Daryl looked up to watch Lori's boy - Carl, remember his name is Carl - sit down in front of him. The boy tilted his head, smiling up at him, and Daryl leant back on the log.

_You're a redneck._

_Ya can see, well done._

Daryl nudged Merle, giving him a glare.

The elder snorted, moving to carefully cut through the apple in his hand, tugging the slice from his knife.

No doubt, Merle was wondering what was up with Daryl.

The doctor had diagnosed him with that... Social anxiety. He didn't do well with new people and that was why, Daryl supposed, Merle was sticking so close to him. His older brother was never keen on having people close, especially Daryl - but he was there all the time since they joined this group, and probably good on for a long time.

_Yea, rednecks. I guess you could say that._

_Can you teach me how to hunt?_

_Carl! Come here now!_

Daryl raised his head, watching Lori - how close is she standing to Shane? - with a frown on her face.

_Nah, he's fine. Might do ya boy good t'learn how t'shoot._

_He doesn't need **t'learn** how **t'shoot** , he's twelve._

Daryl let his head drop down and he fell silent. Merle's leg tensed and Daryl nudged him, shaking his head.

Carl stayed where he was for a moment, watching Daryl with a frown before the other disappeared, back to his Mother's side. Merle nudged him.

_Yer were younger than twelve when ya learned t'shoot._

_Not ev'ry'ne wants their kid w' a gun._

Daryl shrugged and sighed, turning a little more into Merle.

_We should never ha' come here. Stayed in North Georgia._

Merle shrugged.

_Had to keep meh baby brother safe now._

Daryl snorted and stood, heading to the tent the brothers had set up.

xox

It had been a mercy shot.

Daryl had lay there, listening to the moaning from the tent; the whining, the sobs.

The day before, everyone was asleep. Daryl had fallen asleep, curled up against the tree he had been sat on.

The scream had woken everyone up.

Daryl had shot into the tent, only to freeze, seeing the geek there, teeth deep in his Father's shoulder.

The shot had made everyone jump - Daryl had felt Merle behind him, and his eyes slowly cut across to their Uncle on his own bed.

Well, his half-uncle.

Merle had shoved Daryl out the tent, and the younger had gone flying, ending up on his back staring at the sky.

He'd eventually sat up, watching Merle dragging the walker out the camp, into the woods.

Slowly, he'd managed to stand up, moving into the tent.

Jesse had glared at Daryl, doing his best to stem the bleeding to Will's neck.

_Yer a fucking waste, Daryl. Yer dad always said it._

Daryl had flinched a little, eyes wide as he stared at the bite on his Father's neck. He was stronger than Jesse; Merle stronger than he, but Merle wasn't here right now. Daryl shook his head, shoving his half-uncle out the way, hands taking over the from him. They pressed down hard on the bite, causing a wail of pain from his Father.

He felt Jesse leave, moving to help secure the camp with Merle.

_I'm sorry, Papa, I just... I fucked up._

The look his Father had given him was of pure disappointment. Disgust.

It froze Daryl down to the core.

It was the early hours of the next morning when his Father sobbed in pain, his skin too hot to touch.

Jesse and Merle were out looking for food and Daryl had silently stood.

His Father would turn eventually, and then they would have to shoot him either way.

Slowly, Daryl aimed at his head.

Every piece of pain the man had inflicted on Daryl bubbled to the surface. All the repressed memories forced themselves up and slowly, Daryl's finger pulled the trigger.

The soft wsh of the arrow through the air, the dull thud it made as it lodged into his Father's skull - instantly killing him.

_Th'fuck yer doing?_

He had been thrown out the tent, landing heavily on his knees as Jesse stormed in.

Merle's arms moved to help Daryl up before a yell and a blow landed him back on his knees.

_Yer worthless piece of shit!_

xox

Shane watched the younger Dixon rolling around on his back, thrashing out with weak moans of pleads.

Dreaming of a beating?

Shane's eyes lingered on the other, looking him up and down before he felt someone push him out the way.

The other Dixon was there, glaring at the cop before heading into the tent.

Shane watched him slip into the same bed as Daryl.

The younger stopped thrashing about almost immediately. The panic and fright on his face disappeared and he calmed down, his face looked almost serene as he laid it on his brother's chest.

Merle raised an eyebrow, glaring at the other. Shane snorted and headed back to the main group.

**Author's Note:**

> Yea this isn't my best work.
> 
> I almost fainted today after giving blood and my brain still ain't working.
> 
> Took me longer than I care to admit to write this.
> 
> But I liked it reading it back
> 
> ~le shrug~
> 
> Be sure to check out my other works~


End file.
